4 November 2003
Labor leadership contender Kim Beazley will be quizzed about the direction of the Australian Labor Party during a student interview at the National Museum of Australia tomorrow.
The interview is part of Talkback Classroom, giving students from across Australia access to key politicians and public figures as part of the national civics curriculum.
In a move away from convention, Mr Beazley yesterday met the three senior high school students prior to tomorrow's formal interview in front of a live studio audience.
As a result, the Canberra panellists have declared they would like to see the Member for Brand become the next Prime Minister. The third panellist, despite leaning towards the Coalition, thinks Mr Beazley is a 'nice guy'.
The student panel is: Tim Gregg from Lake Ginninderra College, Canberra, Lydia Byrne from Erindale College, Canberra; and Christopher Mowbray from Smith's Hill High School, Wollongong.
The live public interview will be held in the National Museum's Broadcast Studio at 10.30am on Wednesday, 5 November.
Student preparation for the interview includes meetings with ministerial advisers, parliamentarians, visiting experts and other members of the media, organised by the Parliamentary Education Office.
Other Talkback Classroom guests ahead this year include Shadow Treasurer Mark Latham on 26 November.
Schools are encouraged to use Talkback Classroom as a model for social inquiry, investigating topical issues through the media as part of the national civics curriculum. See: www.nma.gov.au/education
Talkback Classroom has been broadcast nationally on ABC Fly TV and Triple J and this year on Radio National's Life Matters, where an edited version of the Beazley interview will be broadcast at 10.30am on Thursday, 13 November.
For more information please contact Martin Portus on 02 6208 5351, 0409 916 481 or email m.portus@nma.gov.au